The Life of Tobeis Boon
by Magna Parva
Summary: When he was born, his mother, barely sixteen and pregnant, dumped him on the doorstep of the local midwife, Auld Eulama. He was named Tobeis Boon, because after all, he had to have been a boon to someone, though she knew not who.


**I thought I'd try something new this time... I hope you like it! Tobe's one of my favourite characters...

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When he was born, his mother, barely sixteen and pregnant, dumped him on the doorstep of the local midwife, Auld Eulama. He was named Tobeis Boon, because after all, he had to have been a boon to someone, though she knew not who.

When he was three, he remembered being scared for the first time. Auld Eulama frequently got drunk and cried, though he knew not why. Curling up in his tiny cot, he screwed up his eyes and wrapped his miniscule arms around himself, terrified. Oddly enough, all the horses in the district turned up that night in front of the humble cottage, neighing in discontent.

When he was six, Auld Eulama died. He was then bought by Alvik the Innkeeper from the district magistrate, for one copper. Alvik whipped him at the slightest infraction, but fed him, even if not enough, and gave him a roof to stay under.

When he was nine, he met the second Lady Knight of the realm, who bought him off Alvik the Innkeeper for two coppers, although he was (in the words of Alvik), "nought but a Scanran mutt." Lady Kel, as he dubbed her from then on, took him in and treated him with more kindness than even Auld Eulama had ever shown him.

When he was nine and a half, he met Loesia, who was only six years old than he. Tall and beautiful (although not as beautiful as Lady Kel, he thought privately) she was his first crush. His dreams were dashed to pieces, however, when he saw her kissing one of the new refugees. He vowed not to ever like a girl again. Except Lady Kel, of course. She was perfect.

When he was ten and Lady Kel had returned to him from the Scanran rescue trip, he found that she had even worse nightmares of Blayce and his killing machines than before. But these ended within a month of their arrival. Then it was decided that he would be put through knight training, so she took him to Corus, to sign him up with Padraig HaMinch as a page.

When he was eleven, he went back to New Hope for the holidays. He was greeted with a bear hug and tears. Lady Kel had missed him.

When he was twelve, he was taken by Lady Kel to visit the Yamani Isles. He liked it there, as it was peaceful (like his Lady).

When he was thirteen, his servant bonds with his Lady were terminated, as it was his fourth year of servitude. Lady Kel turned up at the palace, halfway through his third year of page training and asked him if he'd like to be adopted. And he did. And he was.

When he was fourteen, he had to go through his final exams in order to be qualified to become a squire. He didn't expect anyone to turn up to watch, so he was reasonably surprised to see Lady Kel troop in with Merric, Owen, Neal and that Sergeant cousin of his. Or maybe it was the fact that his Lady was discreetly holding the Sergeant's hand while cheering him on.

When he was fourteen and a bit, he was taken on as a squire under the wing of King Jonathon. This caused quite a stir among the conservatives, who didn't think it was appropriate for the monarch to take on "a Scanran whelp". Lady Kel, upon hearing these remarks, challenged the most outspoken of the "pompous overstuffed turkeys" to joust with her. They didn't bother him again.

When he was fifteen, he attended Lady Kel's wedding, as her adoptive son. He watched in awe as she drifted down the isle, dressed in a gown virginal white, beautiful in her radiance and happiness, about to take the transition from being Lady Kel of Mindelan to Lady Kel of Masbolle. He waved her off as she was swept into the wedding carriage and whisked away to her honeymoon in the Yamani Isles.

When he was sixteen, he was adopted by her ex-Sergeant husband. He didn't know what he was supposed to think about this but a strange warm feeling grew in his chest. It felt like home.

When he was sixteen and a bit, his Knight-master, the Voice, decided it was time they visited the Bazhir tribes of the South. Although it was indecently hot, he loved every minute of the trip as he met plenty of brilliant horses.

When he was seventeen, he fell in love (or so he thought). Gorgeous, petite and extremely witty, sixteen year old Lady Xena of Amphipolis had captured his affections. It was a pity she was betrothed.

When he was eighteen, he went into the Chamber of Ordeal. He emerged , shaken but relieved to have passed. He was knighted later that evening as Sir Tobeis of Masbolle.

When he was nineteen, he was assigned to New Hope, to take over the position of Commander after his adoptive mother. Lady Kel gave him his blessing after waddling her very pregnant body down the walkway to greet him.

When he was twenty, he experienced love at first fall. Hurtling round the corner of the palace of Corus and crashing into her, he lost his heart then and there to the quiet little Maryam bint Hasnat, daughter of the shaman of one of the Bazhir tribes of the South.

When he was twenty-one, he approached his adoptive parents for their blessing so that he could court and (possibly) marry this shy little Bazhir.

When he was twenty-one and a bit, he became engaged to Maryam bint Hasnat. It was the happiest day in his life when she and her family finally succumbed to his devoted attentions.

When he was twenty-two, he married his love. She became pregnant within the third month of their marriage.

When he was twenty-three, he became a father. As he held his first-born child tenderly, he wondered in awe at the delicate features and couldn't believe that he was partly responsible for such an innocent thing.

When he was twenty-five, he became a father once more. Curling an arm around both his beautiful daughters, he gently kissed his wife, thanking the Gods for smiling on him.

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**What do you think? Good? Bad? Review! **


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